Janel McCarville
Janel McCarville (born November 3, 1982 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin) is an American professional basketball player. She currently is a Center for the WNBA's New York Liberty. High school years McCarville attended Stevens Point Area Senior High (SPASH) (Wisconsin), where she led her school to a 59–11 record over her final three years. As a senior, McCarville averaged 19.4 ppg and led her team to a runner-up finish in the 2001 Wisconsin Division I State Tournament. She had tournament averages of 21.7 ppg and 14.7 rpg. She shared the Wisconsin Player of the Year award with Mistie Williams (née Bass) and was honored as an AAU All-American and a member of the 2001 all-state first team. College years McCarville was a standout collegiate women's basketball player for the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities). McCarville started all four years during her time with the Golden Gophers, playing alongside her teammate Lindsay Whalen, and turned the program around from being the worst in the Big Ten Conference into a Final Four team in 2004. McCarville is in the all-time top five of every major statistical category for the Golden Gophers' women's team, including points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. McCarville holds the NCAA record for most rebounds in the tournament, with 75 rebounds in five games. She also holds the NCAA record for tournament rebound average, with 15 per game. WNBA career In the 2005 WNBA Draft, McCarville was picked by Charlotte Sting as the No. 1 overall selection. At Charlotte, she missed a number of games due to injury and her performance when able to play did not meet the expectations associated with the No. 1 draft pick. In the spring of 2007, after the Sting folded, McCarville was claimed by New York in the WNBA dispersal draft. During the first half of the 2007 season she earned a place in the Liberty starting lineup, displacing rookie Jessica Davenport. On August 25, 2007, McCarville was named most improved player of the 2007 season. McCarville continued to contribute significantly to the Liberty's success in 2008. She was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week on two occasions during the 2008 season. Per Coach and General Manager John Whisenant at the May 28, 2011 Season Subscribers Open Practice and Lunch event held and the New York Liberty's practice facility, Janel decided on her own to not report to Training Camp, and in accordance with WNBA rules, was suspended for the entire 2011 season. This became a point of division for the team's fanbase. International career McCarville was a member of the United States team that won a silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. During the 2006-7 and 2007-8 EuroLeague seasons, McCarville has played for Good Angels Košice Good Angels Košice, Slovakia with former Charlotte Sting teammate Kelly Mazzante. In the fall of 2007, McCarville was named to the USA Select basketball team and helped that team take second place in the 2007 FIBA World League tournament. During the winter of 2009–2010, McCarville is playing for the Spartak Moscow Women's Basketball team. During the winter of 2010–2011, McCarville is playing for the Famila Schio Women's Basketball team.